Bias Cut Clothes...Who Cares?

The nice thing about bias cut cloth is...

it stretches.

The bad thing about bias cut cloth is...

 it stretches.

Those two statements sum up the dilemma of making bias cut clothing.

If you understand that from the outset, half your battle is won.

Cloth that has been woven with lengthwise threads (the warp)

and crosswise threads (the weft) but is cut at a 

 angle is considered a "bias cut." If the grainline, or center front/center back
 on the pattern is placed at a 45° angle to the selvedge, 

it is a "True Bias"

Every shaped garment has some "bias" within the construction

lines: a curved neckline, armholes and sleeves, the crotch curve 

of slacks. Strictly speaking, those angles will not 

be "true bias" except at some point as 

the seam curves around the body.

Considering a seam stitched "on the bias" will stretch, 

if I want the seam to stretch 

with the garment, I will switch from

a straight stitch to a narrow zigzag stitch. The stitch length

doesn't have to be especially tight. The point is to simply

add length to the stiching, so when the fabric stretches,

the thread will expand rather than break with the stress.

Making a tight "satin stitch" can distort the seamline.

If I don't want the seam to stretch

I will use some means to stabilize it. Shoulders, necklines and

sleeveless armholes are some examples of areas

I do not want to stretch.

There are many "ways and means"
of stabilizing a seam. The most obvious choice
 is rayon seam tape. I prefer narrow silk ribbon
 that is used for silk ribbon embroidery,
if I plan to "tape" a seam.
But then, I am a natural fiber junkie.

Then there is gravity!

When a bias cut garment is stretching around a snug part of the  body, 

it is getting shorter in length. If the weight of the cloth is 

pulling it closer to the body, the garment will get longer.

Another item affected by gravity is the man's necktie. 

If the tie has not been cut perfectly on the true bias, 

the tie will twist as it hangs from the neck.

Gravity affects different fabrics - well, differently.
Some trial and error, fabric preparation, and
 experimentation is necessary.
Cardinal Rule #1 - always buy more fabric
than you think you will need. Sometimes an
important part of "fabric preparation" is allowing the
fabric to drape, and let gravity do the work.

Another consideration is: when joining two pieces of cloth that

are each cut at a different angle, the seam can pucker. An A-Line skirt,

for example should have adjoining panels be cut at the same angle.

So with all this fuss, why would anyone want to sew "on the bias"?

Elegance ~ Comfort ~ Fit ~ Freedom

Before the advent of commercially available knit fabric for sewing,

a bias cut garment was the only way to achieve "that look" - 

garments that "appear to float freely on the body,"* 

caressing rather than constraining.

Or, you may ask, why do we wear tee-shirts?

But if you prefer a more sophisticated look than a tee-shirt, 

 then bias cut, woven, natural fiber fabrics are the way to go.

*the quote is how Wikipedia describes the fashion designs

of Madeleine Vionnet (1876-1975).

I first fell in love with the whole concept
 of bias cut clothing when 

Threads Magazine

published an article about Vionnet in the 

February/March 1989 issue, by author Betty Kirke.

Amazon still carries Kirke's book.

Problems became challenges, while "all the fuss" became
mysteries to be solved. What more could a designer want?

Footnote: In my profile picture, I am wearing
a bias cut linen shirt that I made.
The linen came from Fabrics-Store.com.

The Bog Shirt - Summer of 2018

Variations on the Bog Shirt

made with rayon or linen

Visions of Summer

When it comes to sewing, my idea of
fun is designing and making summer clothes.
It's the opportunity to play with my favorite fabrics. 

Last summer, the focus was on cool rayon

 adaptations of the bog shirt.

This year the star of the show is linen...

in styles that speak of comfort, elegance and easy care.

I've chosen a soft, medium-weight, easy-care linen from
 https://fabrics-store.com/ 

 The stock number is IL019 Bleached FS Signature Finish.

I splurged on a wonderful 20 yard roll -
anticipating I could spend around an equal
amount for a wardrobe that would neither last as long,
nor give me as much wearing pleasure as my linen.

The best part is yet to come: COLOR!

This fabric takes fiber reactive dye beautifully whether I dye
in my washing machine or
 go for adventures with dye painting, and soy wax batiking.
 How much would I spend on a wardrobe
that is not only custom made, but hand painted?

My 20 yard roll of linen is a good value in anyone's book.

 Just think of it as "I LOve19" - a  top performer in a variety of roles:

When I pre-washed, I found little shrinkage,
and less lint in the dryer filter than I had expected.

I can wear it straight from the dryer
without ironing for a soft textured finish.
It just gets better the more it is worn, and washed.

Consider that linen fiber used to be processed by 
letting the stems of the flax plant rot in nasty ponds
 before beating on it with stones. It is among the oldest
surviving textiles in history, with an example 
being 4,000 years old. Thus - 

Linen is one of the most durable natural fibers there is, and
is perfect for warm weather and tropical climates.

Pattern: Nico, from Fabric-store.com

Pattern selection, and sewing techniques are important
to achieve an elegant look without ironing.

Keep it Simple and Light!

Seams need to be finished to eliminate raw edges 

(easy to do with French Seams).

The Fabric_Store patterns have excellent instructions for French Seams. 

The treatment of a french seam that ends in a slit was new to me, and I love it.

 Edge Finishes 

My favorite edge finish for any curved edge that must remain stable, is a "piped bias."
It looks like a narrow piped edge on the outside of the garment,
and a clean finished edge on the inside without the added bulk of a facing:
a truly elegant and functional technique.

The "piped bias" is  a simple solution 
to stabilizing and clean-finishing a curved edge.
I think the idea came out of something I once saw
in "ready-to-wear" and only now have gotten around
to figuring out how to make it.


The Piped Bias finish is being prepared for publication. 

The neck and armholes of the Nico Pattern are bound with bias strips,
and while the instructions are pretty good,
 they could have gone further regarding stabilizing narrow bias edges.

Nor do the instructions take into account
the chances of a neckline or armhole "gaping."

I hate to wear a top that, when I bend over, 

people can see inside my neckline to my waist.

The problem may stem from using the wrong size pattern!

Bias cut, and knit clothing is very forgiving when it comes to fit. 

But nothing can fix a neckline that is simply too large for the body.

Most commercial patterns are designed for an A or B cup bust.

There are two websites that provide excellent information

on adjusting the bust in a pattern. 

https://so-sew-easy.com/how-to-make-a-full-bust-adjustment/

includes the "Pivot and Slide Method" 

https://blog.fabrics-store.com/2017/01/10/sewing-glossary-full-bust-adjustment-tutorial/

illustrates the "Slash and Spread" Method

But if you have the correct size pattern, and your neckline still gapes:

I learned how to solve that problem when
 learning to sew knits,
and altering high end department store women's wear.
It would seem the two have nothing in
common, but the principle is common to both:
 to ease a neckline (or any curved edge)
smaller than the body of the garment
 without using darts or gathers,
so it hugs the chest.

In the alterations department, we called it "running a fur thread"
because we used the nylon silamide thread
 used for relining fur coats. To run a 'fur thread' in
a finished garment: along the inside edge of the neckline,
 take two or three running stitches,
pulling the thread tight but not tight enough
to make a gather or tuck,
followed by making a back stitch to hold the thread secure.
When sewing knits, I would stay-stitch on either side
of the center front
  while holding my finger tight behind the pressure foot
to force more fabric into each stitch.* 
You can seriously gather/ease a bias edge
this way, for setting in sleeves, for example.

The instructions for the Nico Pattern wisely advises to stay-stitch
the quarter inch edges of the seam allowance.
But once you remove the cut fabric from the pattern,
all bets are off, as the bias distorts.
So I stay-stitch right over my tracing paper pattern,**
 that is holding the fabric securely in shape.
After transferring pattern markings
I remove the pattern,
 and tear the paper away from the stay-stitching.

 To test the durability of "stay-stitching,"

I gathered (see* above for a gathered stay-stitch)
 and stay-stitched the bias edge of a large fabric scrap.

With only that one row of stitching to secure the edge,

 I washed and dried the scrap the way I would a garment.
The stitching held beautifully.

**I generally transfer my pattern to tracing paper
instead of cutting a multi-sized pattern.

I've used yellow tracing paper from my local art store for years,

but recently found a more convenient 36" width at Amazon.

 The Nico Pattern is cut without folding the fabric,

 so the 36" width of pattern paper is ideal.

Tracing Paper for Pattern Making

More to come...